SIREN, Wis. — A 12-year-old boy saved his dad from a bear attack at their cabin north of River Falls in Siren, Wisconsin.
Owen Beierman says he shot the bear when it started mauling his dad, Ryan. The two had been hunting at the beginning of September when it happened.
Ryan says Owen first spotted the bear that day and shot at it but missed. The injured animal ran into the woods and the two waited before going after it. They performed grid searches, followed a blood trail and even used a neighbor's dog to try and track it.
They didn't have much luck until the dog led them into an overgrown area several hours later and the 200-pound bear was about 10 feet from Ryan when it attacked.
"I had the pistol in my hand and I was hitting him in the head, trying to get him to let go," said Ryan. "I looked down and all I saw was teeth and claws coming at my face and I remember hearing the first bite."
He says a fight ensued and then he heard Owen take a shot. He felt the bear's weight shift and he was able to shove it off of himself.
"I saw him (the bear) knock him to the ground and I just saw the black outline and shot over the dog’s back and hit the bear," said Owen. "I just felt like, shoot the bear and save my dad; it’s all I really remember."
Ryan has stitches to repair the deep wounds on his face and has bite marks all along one arm and a leg. He has other scratches along his face and head, too.
"He needed to go to the hospital when I saw his cheek hanging," said Owen.
A neighbor helped the two get out of the woods and to the hospital. Ryan says the looks on the faces of the police officers who later helped them made him realize how badly he was injured.
"He was trying to live and I was trying to live at that point," said Ryan about the bear.
The father and son eventually claimed the bear's remains and are now debating how to mount the animal and where to put it. Ryan says he plans to bear hunt again in the future — despite the story he says his wife didn't even believe when he first told her after it happened over the phone.
"I don’t care if they believe it or not, I got the scars to prove it," said Ryan, laughing.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says the attack on Ryan is the 14th in the state since 2013.